Podcasters tapped for with Gotham Movie & Media Institute’s Audio Honors

The inaugural class of the Gotham Movie & Media Institute’s the Gotham/Selection Audio Honors, introduced by Wondery, are the following era of storytellers, and have been chosen in recognition of their improvements in audio storytelling by a committee of distinguished audio trade professionals, chaired by award-winning podcast creator, producer and new host of NPR’s “It’s Been a Minute,” Brittany Luse. The Gotham/Selection Audio Honors are set to happen in individual as a luncheon and a staged presentation in New York Metropolis on Oct. 14.

“As a corporation devoted to celebrating and nurturing unbiased creators, we’re proud to acknowledge these good, modern, and groundbreaking audio storytellers,” mentioned Jeffrey Sharp, government director of the Gotham Movie & Media Institute. “As audio content material reaches a pivotal level of engagement and innovation, it’s essential that we launch new platforms of recognition, comparable to The Gotham/Selection Audio Honors, to rejoice essentially the most daring creators in our trade.”

The Audio Honors shall be hosted by Sharp, and Selection COO/CMO, Dea Lawrence. Selection government editor, Brent Lang, will reasonable a dialogue with the honorees. 

“The audio storytelling area is experiencing unprecedented creativity, and I’m thrilled to accomplice with The Gotham in highlighting a number of the freshest, most unique voices of this second,” mentioned Luse. “Our inaugural honors will acknowledge the efforts of actually unique abilities, creators who stand to make an influence in our trade for years to come back.”

The Gotham Movie & Media Institute has celebrated rising voices by its annual Podcast Certificates Program, Audio Discussion board initiatives at Gotham Week (now in its third yr), podcast pitch occasions in addition to yr spherical movie and TV labs and programming and The Annual Gotham Awards, now in its thirty second yr.

The category of 2022 follows:

Niki Aggarwal 

“Misrepresented” 

“Misrepresented” grew out of a collection of audio excursions Aggarwal was creating when the pandemic hit. “I began with monuments in South Asia, as a result of I used to be residing in India on the time,” she says. Whereas researching, she realized that lots of these regional tales had world penalties. “These occasions that I’d by no means heard of rising up in Europe within the U.S. had taken place on the Indian subcontinent, and have been truly deeply related to individuals and locations and occasions that I’d spent my complete life listening to about.” Every episode is sparked by a picture or concept that challenges Aggarwal’s understanding of historical past. With the assistance of a paid intern, Aggarwal researches a number of sources, making an attempt to uncover how and why the tales have been twisted or distorted over time. She’s meticulous about reality checking and annotation, particularly since “Misrepresented” is utilized in some highschool lessons. “I did hear from somebody that labored at a really huge podcasting firm that our present was too costly, as a result of we spent an excessive amount of time with analysis, reality checking. Nevertheless it’s actually necessary to me, as a result of one thing that I actually care about is making the tales entertaining, however I don’t ever need the enjoyable issue to trump the information.”

— Paula Hendrickson

Gael Aitor

“Teenager Remedy” 

The summer time earlier than his sophomore yr of highschool, Aitor stumbled upon husband-and-wife Casey Neistat and Candice Pool’s podcast, “{Couples} Remedy.” 

“It was simply them speaking concerning the points they undergo of their marriage. I assumed that was so attention-grabbing as a result of I might relate to numerous the issues they’d say,” Aitor explains. “I noticed, ‘Effectively, why isn’t there one thing like that for youngsters?’” 

At 15 years outdated, the self-taught podcaster began “Teenager Remedy” together with his mates Isaac Hurtado, Mark Hugo, Thomas Pham and Kayla Suarez. Since 2018, they’ve mentioned such prevalent matters as self-deprecating humor, pimples insecurities and the struggles of on-line studying. 

The group’s most up-to-date dilemma: transitioning from highschool to school. Attributable to scheduling conflicts, the group normally has “someday for a few hours to report,” Aitor says. 

Regardless of this impediment affecting the group’s dynamic, Aitor believes the podcast has extra angles to discover that may resonate with anybody, not simply youngsters. 

From a possible TV-slash-film adaptation of “Teenager Remedy” to dream visitor star Gwen Stefani — a fellow alum of the group’s highschool — Aitor says, “I really feel like I might do that eternally as a result of it’s simply so fulfilling to develop up with all of our listeners and my co-hosts.”

— Michaela Zee

Ayden Castellanos

“Susto” 

Castellanos grew up close to the Texas-Mexico border listening to spooky legends and tales from the area. About 5 years in the past, he looked for a podcast concerning the tales he grew up with, however didn’t discover any. “I principally constructed the dream podcast that I wished for myself. It was a type of issues the place I simply felt like there could also be a spot — I’m not saying that no different podcasts like mine existed earlier than it, however I didn’t know of 1 but. And I had a really particular concept of how I wished the present to sound,” he says. He delved into discovering the place the tales — together with one about La Mano Peluda — originated, how the identical tales can range from area to area, and the societal and historic context behind them. “I additionally see this as a preservation of tradition,” Castellanos says. “Whenever you hearken to the present, I speak about how a few of these tales are rooted in misogyny, a few of them are rooted in ableism, a few of them are rooted in shaming individuals; that’s a part of why I discover these tales. I need individuals to consider the leisure they’re consuming and the individuals which are behind that. However greater than something, I need to have a superb time  and be scared.”

— P.H.

Casper Cendre

“Teleway 411” 

You may not anticipate the co-founder of the ABO Comix collective to be an advocate for jail reform, however Cendre has lengthy been dedicated to serving to incarcerated LGBTQ+ individuals categorical themselves by way of artwork. Now he’s actually amplifying their voices with the “Teleway 411” podcast, which debuted in Could. “I’ve had the unimaginable alternative to hearken to the first-hand tales of a whole bunch of LGBTQ individuals residing behind bars, and it has been my immense honor to assist share their tales with the world,” Cendre says. “By way of our group, A.B.O. Comix, we have now printed dozens of books and zines concerning the small cities hidden away from society behind brick and barbed wire, however there nonetheless appeared a void by which the voices of those often-forgotten individuals have been longing to fill. Thus, we determined to dip our toes into podcasting as nicely. Our first season was born in an Oakland warehouse at No. 411 between Telegraph Avenue and Broadway (therefore Teleway 411) and consisted of recordings with at present and previously incarcerated LGBTQ individuals, in addition to a jail psychologist.” The primary episode, “Taylor Hearne,” permits Hearne, Cendre’s long-time good friend, to inform how she went from an adolescent on trial to popping out as a trans lady whereas serving a lifetime jail sentence in a males’s jail. Different episodes function at present and previously incarcerated LGBTQ+ creatives as nicely a jail psychologist. By way of the podcast, Cendre hopes to attach listeners with imprisoned queer artists to allow them to share their tales, inform their truths, and be seen for who they’re, not the place they’re.

— P.H.

Rebecca Cunningham

“Woman Tales” 

Little did Cunningham understand it on the time, however her experiences as a theater director and a nanny gave her the instruments to create the “Woman Tales” podcast, at present in its fifth season. Following the 2016 election, Cunningham says, “I puzzled if I might do a podcast that empowers little women so that they perceive that they’re worthy of being on the middle of the narrative, and that they’ll exit and do the issues that I used to be advised I might do after I was a younger child.” The tales on “Woman Tales” put a feminist spin on traditional fairytales, myths and fables; Cunningham and her crew have additionally created unique tales and characters, together with these within the podcast’s Freshwater world. Amongst Cunningham’s favourite “Woman Tales” episodes is “Musings,” written by Georgina Escobar. “’Musings’ is about muses who work in a dream manufacturing facility,” Cunningham says. “It’s simply so superbly executed. Georgina did a wonderful job and actually understands audio.” An avid podcast listener herself, Cunningham additionally helps different podcasts for youths. “There are all of those unimaginable youngsters’s podcasts on the market — we’re sort of on the forefront of this new style, and it’s a extremely thrilling world to be in.” 

— P.H.

Sarah Dealy 

“Out There” 

Episode: “Indoor Child” 

Throughout tough instances in her life, Dealy discovered consolation in audio, and she or he’s now returning the favor by sharing her personal journey towards psychological well being with others by means of podcasts. “Indoor Child” was a real story she’d wished to inform for some time, so when there was a name for pitches she despatched it in, and “Out There” accepted it. The episode remembers lifelong indoor child Dealy’s previous expertise in wilderness remedy, and follows her return to the wilderness on a tenting journey eight years later. “When I’m having an extremely arduous time in life, I’ve discovered that if different types of artwork don’t transfer me, audio will. The primary time I noticed that, I used to be like, ‘Oh, OK. That is the place I’m gonna put most of my vitality,’” says Dealy, who, together with good friend Jamie Billings additionally created “The Void” podcast. She not too long ago co-produced an episode of “Loss of life, Intercourse & Cash” referred to as “The Weight of Love,” and has a brand new undertaking coming in 2023. “To me audio identical to actually cuts by all of the bulls—t,” she says. “It’s very visceral, and I like that.”

— P.H.

Oliver-Ash Kleine 

“The TransLash Podcast With Imara Jones”

Kleine dreamed of being an investigative journal journalist, “however a university good friend of mine launched me to public radio—and now I’m going to be the largest cliche in the whole world and inform you it was ‘This American Life.’ So I began listening to audio tales fairly obsessively and fell in love with the medium,” they are saying. “Numerous my more moderen work has centered on trans communities as a result of tales about trans persons are typically advised actually poorly by individuals who merely don’t perceive our lives. At TransLash, I really feel very fortunate to have labored on creating, writing and shaping exhibits that middle trans individuals’s humanity whereas additionally doing crucial investigative work into the forces attacking our communities.” Kleine, one of many co-founders of the Trans Journalists Assn., says that the org has helped shift the coversation in newsrooms about easy methods to cowl the trans communities with extra care “stress the significance of getting trans journalists and editors on employees.” The eagerness for storytelling drives Kleine: “Proper now, I’m working with TransLash to wrap up Season 2 of ‘The Anti-Trans Hate Machine.’ I can’t inform you a lot about what’s coming, however I believe it’s going to be actually explosive.” They be aware that story enhancing actually excites them. “I actually love serving to proficient producers create compelling, tight narratives and taking robust concepts and crafting them into compelling exhibits.” 

— C.H.

Mala Muñoz 

“Marijuanera: A Podcast for Potheads” 

Muñoz is a author, a comic, a voice actor, a podcast producer, to call just a few of her endeavors — however the frequent component linking every of those ventures is marijuana. 

She launched “Marijuanera: A Podcast for Potheads,” combining comedy and hashish, in 2021; every episode begins and ends with a hefty rip from her bong and is accompanied by frequent smoke breaks throughout recording classes.

“I prefer to smoke the whole time, whereas I’m writing, whereas I’m recording, whereas I’m enhancing — like I’m in only a big cloud,” Muñoz says. 

Earlier than she was sharing her excessive ideas concerning the state of the world on the web, Muñoz labored on-call 24/7 at a rape disaster middle together with a group of first responders. The grueling expertise prompted Muñoz to shift profession paths and she or he turned a intercourse schooling trainer. Then, because the COVID-19 pandemic erupted, she utilized her newfound free time to discover comedy by her personal solo podcast.

“Actually, I have to chuckle to maintain from crying, and I really feel like my viewers wants that too,” Muñoz says.

One instance is Muñoz’s Could 26 episode, “Soliloquy for Unhappy Ladies,” which grapples with matters such because the distinction between efficient and ineffective comedy in addition to the concept not all emotions are legitimate if prejudice is being misrepresented as perspective.

“Marijuanera: A Podcast for Potheads” is produced by Locatora Radio, a manufacturing firm co-founded by Muñoz and fellow radio host Diosa Femme in 2016. She and Femme not too long ago closed a take care of iHeartRadio.

— Katie Reul

Cinthia “Estephanie” Pimentel and
Rafaela “Lina” Uribe 

The Bag Ladiez 

The Bag Ladiez — childhood mates Pimentel and Uribe — sharply and succinctly mine necessary points — from politics to gender, and occasions impacting society — with a selected POV grounded within the Dominican-Afro-Latino neighborhood that feels common.  

 “We had talked about doing a undertaking collectively and a podcast got here up naturally. We expect we have now a superb dynamic — we’re like, why not? Let’s strive it,” says Uribe.

Their mixture of newsy matters with contemporary takes and enjoyable was a success. “The suggestions that we get is from lots of people who share some identities with us who’re like, ‘Oh, it’s so nice ‘trigger I really feel like typically in my circle of relatives or my group of mates, I’m the one one who’s fascinated with these items,” says Uribe. “Individuals inform us that they really feel very seen.”

They see extra initiatives round Bag Ladiez sooner or later, though they “would simply like to see much more numerous voices highlighted in podcasting as a result of it’s a extra accessible medium than different sorts of mainstream media,” says Uribe. 

“I might simply hope that extra work will get funded for people to proceed to do nice work ‘trigger being round numerous unbiased producers and podcasting, we all know how powerful it’s to keep up a present,” notes Pimentel.

— C.H.

Sai Sion

“The eleventh Podcast” 

Episode: “His Saturn Return”

Sion finds it arduous to explain himself, largely as a result of he is aware of he can do all of it. He compares his artistic skill to that of a Swiss military knife: “I’m numerous issues at one time — I excel at being numerous issues at one time.”

These abilities are obvious in “The eleventh Podcast” episode “His Saturn Return,” created, written and carried out by Sion, described as a cosmic audio drama taking listeners throughout the galaxy as they comply with the journey of fundamental character Duran Durag. 

Of getting the position on the Pineapple Avenue Studios anthology podcast, Sion, who prefers the auditory nature of podcasting, says he was so delighted that his unorthodox pitch acquired the greenlight for manufacturing, bringing him to the purpose of tears.

“It felt like I used to be honoring the little nerd that I grew up as, and nonetheless am,” he says. “It felt like a win, on so many ranges.”

Sion appears to be like forward to “pitching season,” when concepts can develop into new podcast placements — or a fast “Sorry, no” from editors and curators. Within the meantime, Sion will make the most of his creativity nevertheless he can. On the docket: an upcoming documentary and a online game.

— E.J. Panaligan